UPDATED: Saraki’s rivals get ‘juicy committees’

‎Senate President Bukola Saraki on Wednesday constituted the standing committees of the upper legislative chamber.

Surprisingly, he assigned some of the Grade A committees (believed to be “juicy”) to his perceived “opponents” such as Ahmed Lawan, who chairs the senate committee on defence, and George Akume, who chairs the committee on army.

He also let the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) retain control of the media and publicity unit of the senate by assigning the committee on publicity to Eyinnaya Abaribe, spokesman of the seventh senate.

Abaribe, who is a PDP senator‎ from Abia south, officially takes over from Dino Melaye, who had been acting as the spokesman of the senate.

The committees, as announced by Saraki, showed that agriculture is chaired by Abdullahi Adamu (APC), army by George Akume (APC), anti corruption by Utazi Godfrey (PDP), appropriation by Danjuma Goje (APC), aviation by Hope Uzodinma (PDP), capital market by Isiaka Adeleke, ‎and culture and tourism by Urhoghide Matthew (PDP).

Others are customs and excise by Adamu Aliero (APC), defence Ahmad Lawan, drugs and narcotics Joshua Lidani (PDP), basic and secondary education Aliyu Wamakko (APC), FCT Dino Melaye, ‎finance John Enoh (PDP), foreign affairs Monsurat Sunmonu (APC), health Adeyemi Tejuoso (APC), ICT Abdulfatai Buhari (APC), INEC Abubakar Kyari, information and national orientation Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP),‎ land transport ‎Gbenga Ashafa (APC) and‎ marine transport Ahmed Sani (APC).

Others are public procurement to be chaired by Mohammed Ohiare (APC), national identity by Kabiru Marafa (APC),‎ police affairs by Abu Ibrahim (APC), power by James Manager (PDP), privatisation by Ben-Murray Bruce, ‎science and technology by Robert Boroffice‎ (APC), states and local government by Abubakar Gumel (APC), trade and investment by‎ Fatimat Raji-Rasaki (PDP), water resources Mohammed Shittu (APC), women affairs: Oluremi Tinubu and‎ poverty alleviation Ali Wakil‎ (APC).

The Grade A committees are special owing to their power of oversight‎ over strategic institutions of government and because of the monetary allocations attached to them.

Lawan and Akume had squared off against Saraki over the leadership of the senate.

The APC endorsed the two senators as its candidate for the positions of senate president and deputy senate president, respectively, of the eighth senate.

But Saraki, against the‎ wish of his party, went ahead to stand for the position of senate president, and emerged winner unchallenged on June 9.

Following the development, APC senators‎ loyal to Lawan formed an opposing block against Saraki at the senate. One of such senators is Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara central), who was also given a committee to chair.

On different occasions, Marafa had challenged the legitimacy‎ of the senate leadership, and at some point disrupted the sitting of the senate over an endorsement of Saraki by 81 senators.

This may be a form of rapprochement on the part of Saraki to win the loyalty of all APC senators.